D.O.A. and Hardcore '81: The Birth of Canadian Hardcore

The episode explores D.O.A.’s 1981 release "Hardcore 81," the first record to christen the term and set a template for Canadian hardcore. We trace the band’s DIY origins in Vancouver—home‑brew recordings, grassroots touring, and independent pressing—and how they forged a national scene that ran parallel to the U.S. surge. By unpacking the music, politics, and infrastructure behind the album, we see how a handful of punkers turned local anger into an internationally recognizable subculture.

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